Stock-cutting machine



E. E. WINKLEY.

STOCK CUTTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 12, 1918.

Patented June 1, 1920.

10 SHEETS-SHEET 1- E. E. WINKLEY.

STOCK CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 12, I918.

Patented J 11116 1,1920.

l0 SHEETS-SHEET 2- E. E. WINKLEY.

STOCK CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-12, I918.

Patehted June 1, 1920.

l0 SHEETS.SHEET 3- E. E. WINKLEY.

STOCK CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-12, 1918.

1,342, 144. Patented June 1, 1920.

7 l0 SHEETS-SHEET 4- E. E. WINKLEY.

STOCK CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 12, I918.

Patented June 1, 1920.

I0 SHEETS-SHEET 5- 'E. E. WINKLEY.

STOCK CUTTING MACHINE.

APPVLICATION FILED SEPT-12, 191s.

Patented June 1,- 1920.

10 SHEETS-SHEET 6. f4$6 Patented June 1, 1920 I O SHEETSSHEET 7- IIIIIIIIIII/IA 54 (WM 5 M72244? E. E. WINKLEY.

STOCK CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION man SEPT-12, 191a.

Patented June 1, 1920.

I0 SHEETS-SHEEI 8.

E. E. WINKLEY.

STQCK CUTTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 12, I918.

Patented June 1, 1920.

- 10 SHEETS-SHEET 9- E. E. WINKL'VEY.

STOCK cu'nmc mAc'HmE'.

APPLICATIM FILED SEPT- 12, 1918.

Patnted June 1, 1920.

10 SHEETS-SHEI-IT I0.

ERASTUS E. WINKLEY, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR '10 UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CORPORATION, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

STOCK-CUTTING MACHINE.

Application filed. September 12, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EnAs'rUs E. VVINK- LEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stock-Cutting Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to stock cutting machines, and more particularly to machines for cutting blanks to be used in the manufacture of heels.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a feeling mechanism for an automatic stock cutting machine by which the exhaustion of the stock being cut may be anticipated to permit new stock to be supplied in time to maintain, an uninterrupted cutting of blanks.

Other objects of the invention are to improve the construction, arrangement and operation of the various parts of stock outting machines.

In accordance with these objects .one feature of the invention contemplates the provision in a stock cutting machine having a cutter operating in a continuously recurrent cycle, means for feeding stock to the cutter, and mechanism for supplying stock to the feeding means, ofv means mounted in the path of feed of the stock to anticipate the exhaustion of the stock being cut and set the supply mechanism into operation to supply new stock to the feeding means in time to maintain an uninterrupted cutting of blanks.

Another feature of the invention contemplates the provision in a stock cutting machine having means for feeding a strip of stock to the cutting means and ejecting means adjacent the cutting means to remove a waste end fromthe line of feed, of a feeler located in the line of feed in advance of the ejecting means to anticipate the formation of a waste end on the strip and connections between the feeler and the ejecting means arranged to set the ejecting means into operation upon the detection of the waste end by the feeler.

Another feature of the invention contemplates the provision in a stock cutting machine of means for positioning stock Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 1,1920.

Serial No. 253,716.

with reference to the cutting means, comprising a stop, a feederfor advancing the stockinto engagement with the stop, and means for intermittently operating the feeder constructed and arranged to discontinue the pressure of the feeder upon the stock when the stock has been pressed against the stop with predetermined pressure.

Other features of the invention consist in certain features of construction and combinations of parts, the advantages of which will be obvious to those skilled in the art from the following description.

The various features of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a View in perspective of the upper part of a heel sawing machine, illustrating diagrammatically the different positions which the stock occupies in the formation of heel blanks; Figs. 2 and 3 combined are a partial plan view of the machine illustrating the improved strip feeding device and feeler mechanism for detecting the exhaustion of the strip; Fig. 4 is a view in side elevation of the improved strip feeding device; Fig. 5 is a view in side elevation, partly in section, of the strip supplying mechanism and the feeler mechanism for detecting the exhaustion of a strip; Fig. 6 is a view in side elevation, partly in section, illustrating the strip supplying pushers and their connection with the driving cam; Fig. 7 is a detail View illustrating the latch for holding the hooked lever of the strip supplying mechanism-disconnected from its cam; Fig. 8 is a. detail view in front elevation illustrating the stock feeling mechanism and its relation to the block cutting saw; Fig. 9 is a detail view of the two part feed arm. for the strip feeder; Fig. 10 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 10-10 of Fig. 9; Fig. 11 is a view in side elevation, partly in section, illustrating the strip feeling mechanism and the waste end ejecting mechanism; Figs. 12 and 18 are detail views in side elevation illustrating different positions of the devices by which thestrip supplying devices and the waste end ejecting trap door are actuated; Fig. 14 is a view in elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 12 looking in the direction of the arrow; Fig. 15 is a detail sectional view illustrating the movable strip guide and the mechanism for unlocking the same; Fig. 16 is a view in side elevation, partly in section, showing the block cutting saw and the cam connections; Fig. 17 is a detail plan view of the waste ejecting controlling lever; and Figs. 18 and 19 are sectional detail views of the strip feeding conveyer.

' The preferred form of the invention is illustrated as embodied in a heel block sawing machine of the type shown and described in my Patent No. 1,237,435, dated August 21,1917. The various features of this invention are concerned with the mechanism and parts for handling a strip of material and cutting it into blocks, and only such parts of the heel block sawing machine are illustrated in the drawings as are necessary to show the application of these features thereto.

In order that the relation of this invention to the heel block sawing machine may be'clearly understood, the operation of said machine maybe briefly outlined as follows: Referring to Fig. 1, a sheet of stock 5 is supported upon. a table 20 and held against an-edgerguide 22 by means of a positioner 23. The opposite ends of the stock are held in engagement with an'adjustable guide 26 and afixed pushing guide 28, the guide 26 permitting different lengths of sheet to be operated upon. Periodically,'the table 20 is carried past a strip cuttingsaw 24 to sever a strip, and is automatically carried back into the position shown in Fig. 1. Then the table 20 returns after severing a strip, the positioner 23is automatically operated to move the sheet 5 into engagement with the guide 22 ready to formta new strip. The

severed strip is carried over against a movableguideBObymeans of a pair of strip pushers 233 and is thenintermittently advanced into engagement with a stop 29l'by one of aseries of feeders 32. When the stock has'been positione'd against the stop 291, a block cutting saw 398 is oscillated to sever a block from the strip and the block is then carried away and positioned on a tilting table 519 by a'block pusher 479. The block is then clamped on thetable 519, the table is tilted, and a heel block cutting 'saw 586 is moved through the block to form two rough heels. The rough heels are then re moved from the table 519 and placed upon a conveyer 609 with one heel'to each link of the conveyer. When the strip is exhausted at the saw 398, mechanism is automatically set into operation to move the table 20 past the saw 24'to form a new strip, and the strip pushers233 are set into operation to move a strip, which hasbeen previously formed, over against the guide 30 ready to be engaged by a feeder 32. If there is a waste end on the exhausted strip it is removed'from the path of a new strip before the pushers move the strip against the guide 30. With this construction, assuming that a sheet of stock is on the table 20, a strip has been formed'by the sa'w 24, and a strip is in position against the "guide 30, the operation of the machine/will be automatic and continuous.

In the heel block sawing machine of the patent above referred to, the mechanism for pushing a new strip into the guideway is set into operation'when one of the feeders 32 has advanced to a position which'is less than the width of a blank from the block saw. The mechanismfor moving the strip pushers and the'mechanism for movingthe feeders 32 are independently operated in untimed relation and it sometimes happens that the strip pushers will not be set into operation after the cutting ofthe last block from the old strip in time "to allow'the new strip to be positioned before the block saw advances to make the succeeding cut. For this reason an imperfect blank will be formed or the block saw will pass'througha cycle of operations without cutting a block.

In the present invention the "mechanism for moving'the strip pushers and'the mechanism for movingthe feeders are operated in timed relationand'thestrip pushers are set into operation by means of a feeler which is moved into'the strip guideway-for each cycle of operations of'the block saw to detect the exhaustion ofthe strip. The fee'ler islocated 'a distance greaterthan the width of a blank from the block saw so that when the end ofthe strip is detected the strip exhaustion is anticipated and the mecha nism for moving the strip pushers is set into operationbefo'rethe strip is exhausted so that a new strip will be placed in the guideway in timeto'insure a continuousformation of blanks by the block "saw.

The strip guideway con'sists'of a table 34 (Figs. 2, 3 and 5), upon which the strip is supported,a movable guide '30 which engages one edge of a strip, and a-series. of fixed ab'utments 36 mounted in the table 34 which engage the opposite edge of the strip. The 'feeler 38 (Figs. 3, 5, 8 and 11), is mounted above the guideway in a carrier 40 which is supported on an adjusting." rod 42 mounted in bearings 44 formed in a frame 46 on whichjthe strip feeder is supported.

A block 48'is secured-to-the upper end of the feeler "40 (Figs. 5,8 and 11), and is slidably'mounted upon'a rod '50 fixed" between the arms of a yoke 52 formed on one arm of a bell crank'lever 54. The bell crank lever 54 is pivoted to a bracket 56, which has one side secured to the-table 34 'at 58 and the other side secured to the feeder frame 46 at 60. A rod62 is connected with the other arm 64 of the bell'crank lever 54 and passes loosely through a block 66 (Fig. 2), which is pivoted between a pair of arms 68 (Figs.

2 and 17), on a controlling lever 70. A compression spring 72 surrounding the rod 62 is confined between the end of the rod 62 connected to the arm 64 and the block 66, and normally acts to yieldingly oscillate the bell crank lever 54 in a clockwise direction when the controlling lever is oscillated in the same direction (Figs. 5 and 11.) When the controlling lever is oscillated in a. counter-clockwise direction the bell crank lever 54 is positively oscillated in the same direction by the engagement of the block 66 with a nut 71 on the rod 62. The controlling lever is loosely mounted upon a shaft 74 (Figs. 2, 3 and 11), which is journaled in the bracket 56 and in a bearing 7 6 attached to the table 34. To oscillate the controlling lever so that the feeler will be moved into the strip guideway after each advancing movement of the strip, an arm 7 8 of the controlling lever (Figs. 5, 11 and 17), is connected by means of a rod with an arm 82 (Fig. 5), which is fixed on a shaft 84 supported in the machine frame. A second lever arm 86 secured to the shart 84 is connected by means of a rod 463 (Figs. 5 and 16), to a cam lever 464 which carries a cam roll 465 arranged to move in a cam path in a cam'466. The cam 466 is mounted on a cam shaft 67 which is continuously driven from the main driving shaft, as in my patent above referred to.

hen the end of a strip in the guideway extends rearwardly from the block saw beyond the position of the feeler, the feeler will contact the strip as it is moved down into the guideway and stop the bell crank lever 54 from movement, and the excess movement of the controlling lever 70 will be taken upby the compression spring 72. If, however, the end of the strip has been advanced to a position between the feeler and the block saw (see Fig. 8), the feeler will be moved into the position illustrated in dot and dash lines of Fig. 8. At this time the feeler has detected the end of the strip and will set in operation the mechanism for operating the strip supplying pushers 233 so that a new strip may be placed in the guideway in time to insure a continuous formation of blanks. To this end a lever 88 (Figs. 5 and 11), is pinned to the shaft 74 between the bearing arms of the controlling lever 70. The lower arm of the lever 88 carries a trap door 90 (Figs. 8 and 11), which is normally supported in the plane of the table 34 by means of a torsion spring 92 (Fig. 3), which is coiled about the shaft 74 and connected between a collar 94 fixed to the shaft and the bearing 76. A pawl 96 pivoted to an upwardly extending arm 100 on the controlling lever 70 (Fig. 17) is moved back and forth across the upper end of the lever 88 with each oscillation of the controlling lever. The pawl 96 is pulled downwardly by a tension spring 99 and is normally prevented from engaging a shoulder 98 on the upper endof the lever 88 (Figs. 12 and 13) asit is carried across the upper end of the lever, by means of a cam pawl 102which has a cam slot 104 on its face arranged to receive a pin 106 projecting from the side of the pawl 96 and raise the pawl above the shoulder. The cam pawl is pivoted to an arm 108 formed on the bracket 56 (Figs. 5 and 11), and has an upwardly projecting lug110 which is connected to one end of a rod 111. On the other end of the rod 111 is formed an elongated slot which receives a pin 112 mounted in the upper yoked end of the arm 64. A. projection 114 (Figs. 12 and 13), in the tail of the cam pawl is normally held in en gagement with an abutment 116 in the arm 108, by means of a tension spring 118 con nected between the arm 108 and the slotted end of the rod 111. While there is stock in the guideway for the feeler to engage, the projection 114 remains in engagement with the abutment 116, as shown in Fig. 12, to hold the cam 104 raised and prevent the pawl 96 from engaging the shoulder 98 as the controlling lever is oscillated. When, however, there is no stock in the guideway adjacent the position of the feeler, the feeler will be moved down into the guideway, as illustrated in Fig. 8. By this movement the pin 112 in the arm 64 of the bell crank 54 will be brought into engagement with a set screw 120 mounted in the end of 100 the rod 111 (Figs. 5 and 11), and will tilt the cam pawl 102 a suflicient distance to permit a locking pawl 122 (Figs. 12 and 13), pivoted to the lever 88, to be snapped by a spring 124 under a shoulder 126 on the cam pawl, as shown in Fig. 13. When the cam pawl is in this position, the pawl 96 will be permitted to engage the shoulder 98,

so that upon the next forward stroke of the controlling lever the trap-door lever 88 will be rotated to the position shown in Fig. 11.

As the lever 88 is rotated, the locking pawl 122 will disengage the shoulder 126 and the cam pawl will be returned to the normal position shown in Fig. 12 by the spring 118. To enable the pushers 233 to be set into operation as the lever 88 is rotated, an arm 128 (Figs. 3 and 6), is pinned upon the shaft 74 and is connected by means of a link 130 with a lever 132 pivotally mounted be neath the table 34. A trip rod 134 is connected at its upper end with the lever 132, and its lower end extends through an open ing 136, Fig. 7, in a latch 138 which is pivoted to the machine frame in position to engage a shoulder 253 on the side of a hooked connecting lever 242. A block 140 is mounted on the lower end of the rod 134 in position to engage the latch 138, when the lever 88 is rotated, to disconnect the latch from the hooked lever 242 and permit the lever to fall into engagement with the pin 243 on a cam lever 244. The cam lever 244 is pivoted to a bracket 245 on the machine frame and has a cam roll 247 at its upper end which engages a cam groove 248 in a cam 249 mounted on the cam shaft 67. The lever 242 is connected with one of two connected levers 238, which operate the strip pushers 233- (Figs. 5 and 6), this construction being the same as that of my patent above referred to. Upon the completion of one revolution of the cam 249, a pin 254 in the cam will engage a lug 255 on the lever 242 and raise the lever sufiiciently to allow thelatch 138 to beforced into engagement with the shoulder 253 on the lever 242 by means of-a coiled spring 142 (Fig. 6), which is connected between the latch and the table 34. I I

The feeler controlling lever and the strip pusher cam 249 are operated from the cam shaft'67 and the release of the latch lever 242 is so timed that the latch will fall into engagement with the pin 243. With this construction the pushers 233 will be operated to supply a new strip to the guideway in the same cycle of operation in which the lever88 isrotated which is the cycle of operation 'followingthat in which the feeler detects the end of the strip.

Referring now to Fig. 8, it will be seen that the feeler 38 is located in advance of the block saw 398 a distance slightly greater than twice the length of the block to be cut. For this reason the feeler anticipates the exhaustion of the strip and the block saw will out the strip twice after the end of the strip has passed the path of movement of the feeler. This spacing of the feeler from the block saw will always insure that the last block of each strip will be trimmed, but if it is not desired to trim the end of the strip the feeler may be spaced from the block saw a distance approximately equal to twice the width of a block. To adjust the feeler for operating upon different sizes of blocks, the feeler carrier 40 (Figs. 2 and 8), is fixed for movement on the adjusting rod 42 by meansof collars 144. The rod 42 has a threaded connection 146 with the front of the bearing 44 (Fig. 3), by which the carrier 40 may be adjusted longitudinally of the guideway.

Generally there remains a waste end on the strip being out which must be ejected from the guideway before a new strip can be fed therein. This waste end is removed when the trap-door lever 88 is moved down to the position shown in Fig. 11, after the feeler has detected the end of the strip. Since the feeler detects the end of the strip before the strip is exhausted the'operation of the trap-door as described above is delayed until the waste end has been formed.

To insure that the waste end will be removed from the strip guideway when the trap-door is moved down to ejecting position, an ejecting finger 148 Fig's. 5, 8 and 11), extends across the strip above the trap-door and is moved down through the trap-door opening when the trap-door is moved down. The ejecting finger is mounted on an ejecting lever 150 which is pivoted to :a block 152 secured to theta'ble 34. The ejecting lever 150.is moved downwardly by a camroll 154 which is mounted in the side of the lever 88 (Fig. 8) and arranged to bear on'a camsurface'l56 formed on the upper'edge of the ejecting'lever. An ejector 158*is mounted on the forward end of the ejecting lever 150 and normally rests on top of thetrapdoor 90. During the downward movement of the lever 88 the ejector 158+ moves transversely of the trap-door and will act to push off any material which may be hanging upon the door. When the trap-door is moved upwardly by the spring 92, the ejector l58'will carry the ejecting'lever up to the position shownin Fig. 5, and the finger 148 will be positioned out of 'theipath of movement of the strip.

When a strip is moved into the guideway by the strip pushers 233 the movablegui'de 30, which forms one side of the guideway, is arranged to yield to the movement ofthe strip, and when the pushers are withdrawn from the strip the guide forces the strip back against the abutments 36. The guide is locked in this position to' hold thestrip in proper alinement'while it is being advanced to the blocksaw. The lock for the guide 30 is arranged to permit the guide to move freely toward the abutments 36, but :prevents movement in the opposite direction. To allow the guide to yieldwhen the pushers advance the strip into the guideway the lock is disengaged tofree the guide 30. The guide 30 (Figs. 1, 2 and '3), is supported by parallel arms 160 of bell cranks 162 and 163 pivoted to the upper face of the table 34. Arms 164 of the bell cranks 162 and 163 are connected together by a rod 165, and a tension spring 166 (Fig. 3), connected'between the rod 165 and a bracket on the feeder frame, tends to move the guide toward the abutments 36. To look the guide 30 an arm 168 is secured below the table 34 to the lower end ofthe pivot pin 17O to which the bell crank 163is secured; The arm 168 is connectedto'the arm 160 of the bell crank 163 by means of a bolt 172 which passes through a slot in the table. Thefree end of the arm 168 carries a ratchet plate 174 which is arranged to be engaged by a pawl 176 pivoted in a bracket 178 attached to the bottom of the table. The pawl 17 6 is normally held in engagement with the ratchet plate by means of a tension spring 180 which is connected between the bracket 178 and a link 182 connected with the pawl 17 6 by means of a bell crank 184 and a link 186. To enable the pawl to be withdrawn from the ratchet as the pushers 233 advance a strip into the guideway a plate 188 is pivotally mounted beneath the table 34 in the path of the pusher arm 238 located at the right-hand side of the machine, as shown in Fig. 3. The plate 188 is connected to the link 182 by a lever 190 so that when the plate 188 is moved back by the pusher arm 238 the pawl will be withdrawn from the ratchet. When the pusher arms are retracted the spring 180 will move the pawl into locking engagement with the ratchet 174 to lock the guide as it is moved toward the abutments 36 in positioning a strip. The construction and operation of the movable guide 30 and locking mechanism is substantially the same as that of my patent above referred to.

The waste end formed on the strip may have sufiicient length to be clamped between the guide 30 and the abutment 36 adjacent the block saw. Accordingly, means are provided by which the guide is drawn back to release the waste end at the time the trap door is operated. To unlock the guide to permit it to be retracted an arm 192 is pinned to the shaft 74 (Figs. 3 and 15), and is connected by a link 194 with a wedge rod 196. The wedge 196 is supported by a pair of parallel links 198 and projects through an opening in the table into engagement with an abutment 200 formed on the link 182 (Fig. 3.) When the shaft 74 is rotated to move the trap-door downwardly, the wedge will be forced into engagement with the abutment 200 to withdraw the pawl 176 from the ratchet 174 and unlock the guide 30. Simultaneous with this movement the guide will be drawn back by means of a lever 202 which is pinned on the shaft 74 and connected by a link 204 with the guide 30. The lever 202 carries a pin 206 which is mounted in a slot 208 (Fig. 15)' in the link 204, and when the trap-door is moved downwardly the pin will come into engagement with a set screw 210 in the link 204 and act to slightly draw back the guide 30 to release the waste end of the strip. Then the trap-door is moved back into the normal position, as shown in Fig. 5, the pin 206 is moved out into the slot 208 to allow the guide suflicient movement to properly position the strip against the abutments 36.

To prevent the trap-door from being moved downwardly and the strip pusher fingers from being operated when there is no strip in the guideway, a detector is arranged to be moved periodically into engagement with the strip and to prevent the connection of the controlling lever with the trap door lever when there is no strip 1n the guideway. The detector 212 (Figs. 2,

5-, 8, and 11) has the form of a bell crank lever and is pivotally mounted on a pin 214 projecting outwardly from the feeler carrier 40. The forwardly projecting arm 216 of the detector is arranged to engage the strip in the guideway and an upwardly projecting arm 218 of the detector has a slotted block 220 at its upper end (Fig. 2) arranged to engage the feeler 38. A torsion spring 221 connected between the detector and the pivot pin 214 normally tends to move the block 220 into engagement with the feeler. The arm 216 of the detector is held up out of the path of the strip by means of a rod 222 which is connected between the feeler block 48 and a pin 223 in the arm 216. When the feeler is moved down to engage the strip, the detector will be moved downwardly by the spring 221. The strip detecting finger 224 at the end of the arm 216 is adjustable with relation to the block saw so that the finger will engage the end of a strip which has sufiicient length to form a block. The adjustment of the finger 224 is made to correspond to the adjustment of the feeler for treating different widths of heel blocks. If the strip in the guideway has a length more than twice the width of a block, as illustrated in Fig. 8, the detector finger 224 will engage the strip as the feeler is moved down into the guideway and the eX- cess movement of the rod 222 with the feeler will be permitted by a slot 225 formed in the rod at its connection with the pin 223. Under this condition the feeler will move down into the guideway in its normal operation of detecting the end of the strip and operate the mechanism for connecting the controlling lever to the trap door lever, so that a new strip will be supplied to the guideway. If there is no strip in the guideway, the detector finger 224 will be moved down into the guideway cotirdinately with the feeler until the block 220 comes into engagement with the feeler and the block will prevent sufficient movement of the feeler and bell crank lever 54 to bring the pin 112 into engagement with the set screw 120 of the rod 106, so that the controlling lever will not be connected to the trap door lever.

The strip is advanced in the guideway by means of three feeders 32, Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, and 11, which are mounted upon a conveyer chain 226 running between sprockets 228 rotatably mounted in bearings 230 positioned at opposite ends of the guideway. The feeders 32 are pivoted to the conveyer chain Fig. 18 and are provided each with a rearwardly extending arm 232 arranged to engage a guide plate 234 secured to the lower side of the feeder frame 46 to hold the feeders in position to push the strip along the guideway (see Figs. 4 and 18.) Since the feeders cross the path of the block saw, a slot 236 (Fig. 18) is formed in the plate 234 which is so positioned that a feeder arm 232 is free to fold up into the frame at the time the feeder reaches the path of the blocksaw. To insure, however, that a strip, which has just suflicient length to form a block,

250 which passes through the rollers 252 mounted at opposite sides of the feeder. The friction of the washer 240 is not suflicient to stop the conveyer chain, but will drag the feeder across the corner of the block (see Figs. 4 and 8) and move the block until it strikes the stop 291. The feeders are positively folded into the frame by means of a plate 254 secured to tracks 256 for the rollers 252. At the time one feeder is folded into the frame the following feeder will be in position to operate upon a new strip (see Fig. 4).

The feeder conveyer is intermittently driven to advance the strip into engagementwith the stop 291 to position the strip for the blocksawing operation. The conveyer is driven through a two-part feed arm the parts of which are connected together by. a yieldable coupling arranged to disconnect the parts and thereby removethe feeding pressure on the strip when the strip has been advanced against the stop with a predetermined pressure. The driving mechanism of the feed conveyer is shown particularly in Figs. 4 and 9. The part 258 of the feed arm 258-26O is provided with a rack 262 on its upper surface which is adapted to engage a pinion 264 (Figs. 4 and 10) loosely mounted upon. a shaft .266 supporting the conveyer sprocket wheel 228at the rear of the guideway. The pinion 264 is adapted to be connected with a hub 268 pinned to the shaft 266 by means of a one-direction Horton clutch of the roller type. -The two parts of the feed arm are normally connected together by means of a coupling which consists of a pawl 270 (Figs. 4 and 9), pivoted to the part 260 and having a roll 272 which engages a shoulder 274 formed on the part 258. The roller 272 is held in engagement with the shoulder 274 by a compression spring 276 interposed between the tail of the pawl, and an adjusting screw 278 attached to the part 260. The part 260 of the feed arm is connected with a cam lever 280 Fig. 4 which carries a cam r011 282 mounted in a cam groove 284 formed in a cam 286. The cam 286 is mounted upon a shaft 583 which is continuously, rotated from the main driving shaft of the machine. The feeder conveyer is moved to advance the strip in the guideway on the backward stroke of the feed arm, and when the strip is brought into engagement with the stop 291 with sufficient pressure to overcome the pressure of the spring 276 the roll 272 will spring over the shoulder 274 and roll down the inclined face at the rear side of the shoulder and come into engagement with the part 260, as shown in Fig. 9. As soon as the pawl 270 disengages the shoulder, the pressure upon the strip is removed and further movement of the cam lever 280 will act merely to move the part 260 relatively to the part. 258. Upon the forward stroke of the cam. lever 280 theroll of the pawl 270 will move up the incline on the shoulder 27 4 and fall into engagement with the shoulder. At the same time the upper end of the part 260 of the feed arm, will enga e a plate288 on. the end of the part 258 an move the rack back into the position shown in Fig. 4. During the forward stroke of the feed arm, however, the conveyer will not be moved, since the pinion 264 will be unclutched from the hub 268. The pressure of the spring 276 may be regulated by the screw 278 so that only a. sufficient pressure is used in advancment with thestop 291 before the coupling.

is disengaged. The stop 291 is adjustably mounted on. the table 34 in the line of feed and may be set. in various positions for making blocks of different widths.

The feed stroke of the feeders 82 is. ar ranged to be slightly greater than twice the width of the widest block to be cut from the strip, and bears no specific relation to the width of the particular. block being cut. Accordingly, means are provided whereby the feeders are prevented from moving in the guideway when there is no stripin it so that thefeeders will not interfere with the introduction .of a new strip into the guides way by the pushers 233. To this end a stop 292 (Figs. 1, 3, and 4) is mounted upon the movable guide 30 in position to be brought into the path of movement of the feeders 32 when the guide is moved toward the abutments 36 bythe spring l66'after the waste end of a strip has been ejected. The stop is extended rearwardly from theguide and provided. with a slot 294 which receives a pin 296 mounted inthe table 34- to support the stop against the thrust of the feeder. When the pushers 233 place a strip in the guideway they move the guide 30 back and withdraw the stop 292 from the path of the feeders 32 preparatory for the strip feeding operation.

During the sawingoperation the strip is held in position by clamps 416and 417 (Fig. 8), the clamp 416-engaging the.strip, and

formed. The clamps are held out of the path 'of movement of the strip while the strip is being positioned against the stop 291 and are then released to clamp the strip. After the sawing operation the clamp 417 is raised and locked in elevated position as the controlling lever 70 (Fig. -5) is rotated in a clockwise direction and the clamp 416 is raised and locked in elevated position when the controlling lever is rotated in a counter clockwise direction. The construction and operation of these clamps is substantially the same as that of my patent referred to. To operate the clamps by the controlling lever 70 an arm 298 (Figs. 5 and 17) is formed on the controlling lever and connected with the usual clamp lifting bell crank lever 453.

In Fig. 16 are shown connections by which the block saw 398 is oscillated when cutting off the block. The saw is driven by a belt 405 which runs over a pulley 402 fixed on a shaft 399 to which the saw is secured and a pulley 406 mounted on a shaft 403 which is continuously driven from the main driving shaft. The shaft 399 is j ournaled in the upper end of a saw carrier 400 which is mounted to oscillate on the shaft 403. To oscillate the carrier 400 a link 409 is connected at one end to the carrier and at the other end to a cam lever 410 which has a cam roll 413 arranged to move in a cam groove 414.

After a block is cut off by the saw 398 it is carried to the tilting heel forming table 519 (Fig. 1) by the pusher 479. The pusher is mounted on an oscillating arm 484 (Fig. 16) which is connected by a link 493 with a bell crank lever 494. One arm of the bell crank lever carries a roll 495 which is mounted in a groove in a cam 491 mounted on the cam shaft 67.

The operation of the machine is as follows: Assuming that a strip is in the guideway and that another strip is on the table 34 at the rear of the strip-cutting saw 24, an intermittent action of the feeder 32 will advance the strip into engagement with the stop 291. The strip will then be clamped and the saw 398 moved through the strip to form a block. The feeler 38 will then be moved down into the strip guideway, and if there is a strip in the guideway of suflicient length to form two more blocks, the feeler will engage the strip and the controlling lever will not be connected with the trap-door lever on the following stroke of the controlling lever. If, however, the strip in the guideway is sufiicient to form but one more complete block as shown in Fig. 8, the feeler will go into the position shown in dot-and-dash lines, when'it is moved down into the guideway, and the cam pawl 102 will be set in the position shown in Fig. 13. The block saw will then be reciprocated to cut off the last perfect block of the strip, and upon the next stroke of the controlling lever the feeler will be moved down into the guideway and at the same time the trap-door lever, the ejector finger 148, and the ejector 158 will be moved down to eject the waste end left from the strip. At this time there will be no strip in the guideway so that the detector 212 will be moved into engagement with the feeler, as shown in Fig. 11. The detector will thus prevent the feeler from setting the cam pawl 102 so that upon the following stroke of the controlling lever the trap-door will not be moved down. At the time the trap-door is moved downwardly to eject the waste end, the movable guide 30 is unlocked and drawn back to release the waste end, so that the ejector finger 148 and ejector 158 may remove the waste end. Simultaneously the latch 138 (Figs. 5 and 7) is released from the lever 242 and the strip pushers 233 are set into operation. Before the new strip is introduced into the guideway, the trap-door is moved up into the position shown in Fig. 5 and the movable guide is tially the width of a block from the saw 398. This will permit the feeder 32 which was advancing the old strip to be left in the guideway, while a new strip is being placed therein, and the next movement of the feeder conveyer will bring another feeder into engagement with the new strip and remove the feeder of the old strip from the guideway. The new strip is placed in the guideway in the same cycle of operations in which the last block is cut from the old strip, so that the strip will be brought into engagement with the stop 291 before the next stroke of the block-cutting saw. In

case a strip is not placed in the guideway by the pushcrs 233 while the machlne continues to operate, the detector 212 will prestrip is always brought into engagement Withthe. stop. with a predetermined pressure, and thenithe pressure entirely removed from the strip. In this way.the saw will .not bind when cutting a block, and the block will be free to be removed by the pusher 479, after it has been formed. The feed device does not need to have any specific length of feed stroke and still it is operated in timed relation to the operation oftheiblock saw.

Having thus described my invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A stock cutting machine, having, in combination, stock cutting means, means to feed stock into position to be operated upon bythe cutting means, mechanism for supplying stock to, the feeding means, a feeler mounted to operate in; the path of the feed of the stockto detect the end of thestock and anticipate its exhaustion, and connectionsbetween the feeler and the supplying mechanism by which the operation of the supplying mechanism will be delayed to a later cycleof operation than that in which the end of the.stock is detected.

2. A stock cutting machine, having, in combination, astock cutter, stock feeding meansmechanism for supplying stock to the feeding means, a feeler in the line of feed of the stock and located in advance of the cutter approximately equal to the combined width ofaplurality of blanks, means to move thefeeler into contact with the stock to detect the stock in anticipation of the exhaustion thereof, and connections between the feeler and the supplying mechanism to supply a new strip when the strip being cut is exhausted.

3. A stock cutting machine, having, in combination, stock cutting means, means to feed the stock to the cutting means, means to relatively move the stock and cutting means in a continuously recurrent cycle to cut blanks from the stock, means to impart a continuously recurrent intermittent motion to the feeding means; mechanism for supplying stock to the feeding means; a feeler positioned in the line of feed of the stock to anticipate the exhaustion of the stock being fed; and connections between the feeler and supplying mechanism whereby the operation of the supplying mechanism will be started before the strip being cut is exhausted and a new strip supplied to the feeding means in timeto maintain an uninterrupted formation of blanks.

4. A stockcutting machine, having, in combination, stock cutting means, means to relatively move the stock and cutting means in a continuously recurrent cycle to intermittently cut blanks, means to feed stock into position to be operated upon by the cutting means, mechanism for supplying stock to -the feeding means, devices for operating the supplying mechanism, and means mounted in the path of feed of the stock to anticipate the exhaustion of the strip being cut and set the strip supplying mechanism into operation to supply anew strip to the feeding means in time to main-' the feeler, connections between the feeler and supplying mechanism to supply a new strip when the strip being cut is exhausted, and means for adjusting the feeler in the line of feed to provide for cutting different sizes of blanks.

6. A stock cutting machine, having, in combination, stock cutting'means, means for feeding a strip of stock to the cutting means, ejecting means adjacent the cutting means to remove a wasteend from the line of feed, a feeler located in the line of feed in ad'- vance of the ejecting-means, for detecting the formation of'a waste end on the strip and connections between the feeler and ejecting means arranged to set the ejecting means into operation upon the detection of the waste end by the feeler.

7 A stock cutting 'machine, having, in combination, stock cutting means, means for feeding a strip ofsto ck, means for relatively moving the stock and cutting means to cut. blanks from the strip, an ejecting means adjacent the cutting means, a feeler positioned in the line of feed for detecting a waste end on a strip before the strip is positioned for'cutting the last blank, and connections between the feeler and ejecting means constructed and arranged to delay the operation of theejecting means until after the waste end hasbeen formed.

8. A stock cutting machine, having, in combination, stock cutting means, means for feeding a strip of stock, means for relatively moving thestock and cutting means to cut blanks from the strip, an ejecting means adjacent the cutting means, means for supplying stripsto the feeding means, a feeler positioned in the line of feed of the strip to anticipate an exhaustion of the strip, and connections between the feeler and the ejecting and supplying means constructed and arranged to eject the Waste end and supply a new strip to the feeding means in time to maintain an uninterrupted rename cutting means, a trap door adjacent the cut ting'means, means to draw the doorbelow the surface'of the support, and anejector movable with the door for removing stock from the door. f

10. A stock cutting machine, having, in combination, stock cutting means, a support for the stock, means for feeding stock to the cutting means, an ejector adjacent the cutting means, means to actuate the ejector, a feeler movable intoand out of the line of feed, connections between the feeler and ejector, actuating means normally to operate the ejector when the stock is exhausted, and a detector mounted to move into and out of the line of feed to prevent the operation of the ejector when there is no work in the line of feed. I V V 11. A stock cutting machine having, in combination, stock cutting means, means for feeding stock to the cutting means, an ejector to remove a' wasteend of the stock, a guide for the stock, means for lockingthe guide in guiding position, a feeler co n-- structed and arranged to detect the exhaustion of the stock and devices controlled by the feeler to unlock the guide and operate the ejector to eject a waste end of the stock.

12. A stock cutting machine, having, in combination, stock cutting means, means for feeding stock to the cuttin'g'means, a guide for the stock, means for locking the guide in guiding position, a feeler constructed and arranged to engage the stock While it is being fed, and devices controlled by the feeler for unlocking the guide.

13. A stock cutting machine, having in combination, stock cutting means, means for feeding stock to the cutting means, a guide way for the stock comprising a fixed guide for one edge of the stock, and a movable guide for the other edge of the stock, means for moving the-movable guide to press the stock against the fixed guide, means for ejecting a waste end of stock from the guide- 7 way, and means to withdraw the movable guide from the stock to free it to the action of the ejecting means.

1 1-. A stock cutting machine having, in combination, stock cutting means for cutting blanks of a definite size, a ,guideway for stock including a fixed guide and a movable guide, means to feed stock in the guideway, devices for locking the movable guide in position, means for removing from the guidway a waste end on the stock which is of insufficient length to make a blank, and

mechanism to unlock the movable guideand withdraw said guide to release the waste end.

15. A stock cutting machine having, in combination, stock cutting means, a support for the stock, means for feeding stock to the cutting means, a trap door adjacent the cutting means, an ejecting finger normally supthe guideway, means for imparting movement to the feeders, a'yieldable connection between the feeders and the moving means, a stop, and means to project the stop into the path of thefeeders to prevent movement of the feeders in'the guideway when there is no stock therein.

18. A stock cutting machine, having, in

combination, stock cuttingmeans, a guideway, a series of feeders for feeding stock in the guideway, means for lmparting an intermittent movement to the feeders, a yieldable connection between the feeders and the mov ing-means, a stop movable into and out of the path of the feeders, a feeler for engaging the stock in the guidewa and devices controlled by the feeler for p acing the stop in the path of the feeders when there isno stock in the guideway.

19. A stock cutting machine, havinggin combination, stock cutting means and means I for intermittently advancing stock to the cutting means comprising an endless conveyer chain having a feeder, a two-part 7 feed arm for moving the conveyer, means for operating the feed arm and a yieldable coupling for connecting the parts of the arm for movement in unison.

20. A stock cutting machine, having, in combination, stock cutting means and means for positioning the stock with reference to the cutting means comprising a rigid stop for the stock, feeders for advancing stock against the stop, an endless conveyer for carrying the feeders, a two part feed arm for moving the conveyer, a rack on one part of the feed arm for operating the conveyer, a yieldable coupling for connecting the two parts of the feed arm together, and means for continuously operating the feedarm.

21. A stock cutting machine having in combination, means for cutting blanks from a strip of stock, means for feeding the strip of stock to the cutting means, mechanism for supplying a strip of stock to the feedmg means, means for detecting the end of the strip arranged to control the operation of the supplying mechanism, and means for combination, means for cutting blanks from a strip of stock, means for feeding thestrlp tothe cutting means, means for e ectlng a A 7 Waste end ofthe strip from the line of feed,

means for detecting the end of a' strip acting to render the ejecting means operative when the end of the strip is detected and means for adjusting the detecting means in the line of feed to determine the maximum size ofwaste end to be ejected; a 23. A stock cutting machine having, in combination, means for cutting blanks of a predetermined size from a strip of stock, means for feeding the strip to the cutting means, Imeans'for detecting the end of a strip, means controlled by said detecting means to supply strips to the feeding means,

' said detecting means being located. at a point in advance of the cutting means, de-

termined by the length of the blank being cut, and means for adjustingthe detecting means in the line offeed.

' 2A. A stock cutting machine having, in

combination, stock cutting means, means for" feeding stockto the cutting means, means ifor supplying stock to the feeding means,

- mechanism for operating the supplying means to supply new stock to the feeding means when the stock being cut is exhaust ed,"a detector constructed and arranged to move into and out ofthe line of feed of the stock, and connections between the detector means for operating the ejector, means for controlling the operation of the ejector to operate the ejector only at the time a waste end is formed, and a detector movable into and out of engagementwith the stock being fed to prevent operation of the ejector 7 when there is' no stock in the line of feed,

26. A stock cuttmgmachinehaving, in

. combinatiomstock cutting means, means for feeding stock to the cutting means, means for supplying stock to the feeding means, a feeler'fo'r controlling the supplying means to supply new stock tothe feeding means when'the stock being'cut is exhausted, a detector movable into and out of engagement with the stock being fed, and connections between the detector and stock supplying means .to prevent operation of thersupplying means when there is no stock in the line of feed.

ERASTUS E. WINKLEY. 

